Lt. Chelsea Larro
Lt. Chelsea R. Larro, U.S. Navy, embedded in the U.S. Marine Corp 1st Division as their mental health provider, was recently presented the Meritorious Service Medal. She is the daughter of Candy and Ralph Larro of Preston.
The citation accompanying the award reads: “Lt. Chelsea Larro was presented the Meritorious Service Medal for her outstanding service while serving as Battalion Operational Stress Control and Readiness Officer with Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force from April 2016 to April 2018. Lt. Larro’s dedication has been unparalleled and unsurpassed. The dedication and genuine professional care Lt. Larro has provided to management, regular engagement with the Marines and Sailors and wise counsel to Company and Battalion leadership contributed immensely to mission accomplishement. She personally oversaw mental health outreach programs including force preservation representation, Command advisement and crisis management. Her efforts have directly impacted the Marines and Sailors in the command, ulitimately ensuring they received proper care and mitigating the potential suicides. Her commitment to readiness reduced clinical wait times, disposition time and operation impact of mental health treatment requirements. She augmented the skillful execution of a unified mental health approach between hospital and operational providers. This resulted in an increased understanding of mental health by the Unit Commanders, which allowed them to make critical decision on the welfare of the Marines and Sailors. She exudes professional competence and cultural assimilation with the Marine Corps values to include becoming one of four licensed clinical social workers with a fleet Marine force qualification. The exeptional profession abiblity, steadfast initiative and selfless dedication to duty exhibited by Lt. Larro reflected great credit upon her and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”
Signed: E.M. Smith, Major General, U.S. Marine Corps, CommandingGeneral, 1st Marine Division